Get a Body Like Julianne Hough's With These Tips and Tricks

Leah Groth
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updated on April 30, 2018

About the Author:

Leah Groth

Leah Groth is a writer and editor currently based in Philadelphia. She has covered topics such as entertainment, parenting, health & wellness for xoJane, Babble, Radar, Fit Pregnancy, Mommy Nearest, Living Healthy and PopDust.

Julianne Hough is one of Hollywood’s most inspiring stars when it comes to health and wellness. With her gorgeously glowing skin, finely tuned physique and overall happy demeanor, it’s obvious the professional dancer, “Dancing with the Stars” judge and actress prioritizes healthy living. And fortunately for us, she generously shares her many tricks and tips with the world. From what she eats and drinks every single day to all of her physical (including breathing) exercises, you, too, can get a body like Hough by following her tried-and-true pointers.

1. There is no good excuse for skipping a workout.

If you want a body (and mind) like Julianne Hough, leave all your excuses for skipping a workout at the door. “Wouldn’t you rather take an hour off and ask a neighbor to watch your kids or something so that you can have some space and time for you to then be a better wife or mom?” Hough told Popculture. “I think it’s important to have your own space and your own time to be the best version of you.” Hough believes healthy living isn’t just “a vanity thing” and is necessary to have a “clear thought, make good choices, be positive, be a great example for your family or friends and be courageous enough to take risks.” Sounds like solid advice to us.

2. Start your day off with a breathing exercise.

Hough starts off each day with priming — a 10-minute physical and mental exercise involving rapid breathing that is meant to change your state of mind. “I breathe in and out of my nose 30 times, for three times, and I think of things that I’m grateful for,” she explained. “Or things I want to achieve that day. And by achieve, I mean put a smile on someone’s face.” Multiple studies have shown that deep-breathing exercises are not only an effective tool for relieving stress, but can also be beneficial to your health by lowering blood pressure and improving memory function.

3. Juice every single morning.

Hough is a huge fan of juicing, telling LIVESTRONG.COM that her husband, NHL star Brooks Laich, makes her a fresh 12-ounce juice every morning. Lucky girl, right? The concoction, full of essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes, is made with just five ingredients: beets, celery, cucumber, lemon and ginger. Laich explains that it’s crucial to leave “skins intact” on all the fruits and veggies — and for optimal absorption it’s best to drink the juice on an empty stomach within 12 minutes of preparation. “After too long, the juice starts to oxidize and lose valuable nutrients and antioxidants,” he warned in a blog on Hough’s website.

4. Make a fitness pact with your partner.

In addition to acting as her juicer, Laich is a crucial part of Hough’s health plan: The two even made a pact before they wed. “When I first met Brooks, he told me that we both need to protect the things that are important to us, and we both sat down and thought about it and asked ourselves, ‘What are the things that I need to protect that I would eventually get resentful over?’” she told PopCulture. The two have different times they like to work out and have agreed to support each other and their commitments to healthy living — even if it means sneaking away for two-hour workouts. “He is the champion of championing our healthy living,” she gushed to LIVESTRONG.COM about her husband.

5. Work out all day long (it’s not as hard as it sounds).

While exercising all day long sounds a bit tedious, it’s really quite easy, explains Hough. “I work out while I’m brushing my teeth, while I’m making dinner. I do little things around the house while I’m there. Or if I’ll be out all day and won’t be about to get in my normal workout, I’ll just do a couple little exercises on my own to get my body moving,” she told PopCulture. Some of her on-the-go moves include holding on to the side of a wall for calf raises, “or I might do a little squat or two or lunge forward or a couple side oblique crunches,” she says. If you want to burn calories around the house, here are 13 everyday activities that burn more that 200 calories per hour.

6. Work out with different trainers for different things.

Some stars swear by a single workout and are exclusive to one personal trainer, but Hough likes to “change it up,” she explained to Health. “It’s not one specific trainer who does everything,” she said. “I work with a trainer at Body by Simone or one at Tracy Anderson, or I’ll do SoulCycle or CorePower Yoga with different trainers. I’m a dancer, so I remember different combinations, so I’ll sometimes take what I’ve learned in classes and make my own workout.” Celebrity trainer Ramona Bragannza endorses Hough’s mix-and-match method. “I recommend it for countering any boredom. It also targets many muscle groups,” she said, suggesting alternating calorie-burning activities (like Spinning and circuit training) with lower-impact activities (such as yoga and Pilates) for maximum results.

7. Take “me time.”

Hough practices self-care by spending time alone — which she calls her “me time.” “If I don’t have my space for an hour, I feel overwhelmed and I need to just chill. That can be having a cup of tea by myself outside, going and getting gas — it doesn’t matter; I just need some time every day where I can think and put myself in a good place,” she told Health. A recent study confirms “me time” does in fact offer health benefits. Not only can taking alone time reduce stress and depression, but it can also boost creativity.

8. Wear a fitness tracker.

Hough relies on a fitness monitor to help keep track of her every movement — from washing the dishes and brushing her teeth to dancing or doing squats or leg lifts — explaining that it “helps you, reminds you.” “When I have a reminder and I see I’ve only done 4,000 steps, I know I have to get up and move,” she told AOL.

9. Load up on carbs — but choose the good kind.

Hough’s hot body is a reminder that carbohydrates (the good kind) are not the big, bad wolf of any diet. In fact, she consumes them “every single meal” in order to maintain her physique. “Everybody is so afraid of carbs — they talk about them in a negative way, like, ‘Carbs make me fat or bloated’ — but just pick the right one and have a little bit,” she explained to Us Weekly. And science is on her side.

A 2015 diet and weight-loss trial executed by the National Institutes of Health found that high-carb, low-fat diets are more efficient for weight loss than high-fat, low-carb diets. Whole grains, starchy vegetables, fruits, beans and low-fat dairy are all considered good carbs, absorbing more slowly into the body.

10. Eat lots of healthy fats.

Hough keeps her body fueled with healthy fats throughout the day. “I love avocados so much,” she told LIVESTRONG.COM. “Sometimes I’ll just scoop it right out of the shell — which my husband hates. I’m like, ‘give me all your avocados!’” Good fats — including omega-3-rich cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel, trout and tuna, plant oils like hemp, grapeseed, flaxseed and olive, and nuts and seeds — are essential for proper nerve activity, vitamin absorption, immune system function and healthy cells. Monounsaturated fat, a staple in the Mediterranean diet, can also help you lose weight.

Julianne Hough Is a Wellness Warrior — the Ultimate Guide to Her Diet and Workouts

Julianne Hough is one of Hollywood’s most inspiring stars when it comes to health and wellness. With her gorgeously glowing skin, finely tuned physique and overall happy demeanor, it’s obvious the professional dancer, “Dancing with the Stars” judge and actress prioritizes healthy living. And fortunately for us, she generously shares her many tricks and tips with the world. From what she eats and drinks every single day to all of her physical (including breathing) exercises, you, too, can get a body like Hough by following her tried-and-true pointers.